We provide a range of policy services to support government and civic organizations. From insightful planning exercises to long-form public deliberations, we design participatory processes that bring more people to the table and bridge the distance between citizens and their governments.

Whether it is meeting the demands of an aging society or the imperatives of strengthening transit infrastructure, we are routinely trusted by our clients with high-value, high-stakes policy challenges. To meet these challenges, we specialize in three areas: strategy, public engagement, and research, and we provide a comprehensive range of services to support each. Our goal is always to create greater clarity for our clients so they can make decisions that enjoy public confidence and support.

MASS LBP is a pre-qualified vendor of record with the governments of British Columbia, Ontario and Canada.

Democratic dividend

If poor choices and a feeling of powerlessness contributes to a democratic deficit, we believe good processes can and should pay a democratic dividend. For individuals, this dividend includes a expanded sense of voice, agency and personal efficacy. For societies, it includes greater mutual awareness and cohesion, allowing it to overcome divisions.

Democratic fitness

More than civic literacy, we believe in democratic fitness — the readiness and capacity of all people to play an active and empathic role in the governance and life of their community. We believe good democratic processes are essential to achieving democratic fitness, and that good government should work the maximize the democratic fitness of its citizens.

Devolving out

Governments tend to think that decision-making authority travels on a single axis: up towards a strong central executive or down to lower orders of government like a local council. But governments have an another option: devolving out policy choices in order to solicit direction and advice from residents and stakeholders.

WHAT WE DO

1. We are reinventing public consultation

MASS is best known for its innovative approach to public engagement and consultation. First, we believe that public consultation is a form of cultural production. Success depends on the design choices our clients make when they create opportunities for members of the public to interact with and advise government. Since 2007, we have conducted twenty-five major reference panels, citizens’ assemblies and commissions for government, tackling some of the toughest and most divisive issues in public policy today. We also routinely host national, provincial and regional conversations, inviting Canadians to think about their country's future and their priorities for investment and reform.

Creating publics: Introducing the Civic Lottery

Working with Canada Post, MASS mails tens of thousands of Canadian households each year inviting residents to volunteer to serve on one of several reference panels or commissions. Civic Lotteries produce random-representative cohorts that contain a wide range of perspectives and can speak for their communities. MASS is a global leader in the use of sortition to engage citizens in democratic processes.

Convening publics: Introducing the Reference Panel

Reference Panels are typically comprised of thirty-six randomly-selected residents who meet over several days to advise government on a specific policy issue. With an explicit mandate, these panels provide a deliberative forum to learn about a complex issue from leading experts and with the assistance of trained facilitators, find common ground. MASS has pioneered the design and use of Reference Panels to inform public policy choices in Canada.

2. We develop ambitious strategies that enjoy public support

Strategy isn't only about getting from A to B. Much as we might like to pretend, when it comes to aligning divergent priorities, or getting clear about an organization's core values, there are no straight lines. This is especially true for public sector organizations which work to juggle changing political contexts, fiscal constraints, and the competing interests of stakeholders and communities. We work with our clients to develop strategies for organizations that are serious about change. We approach strategy as a collaborative process that helps to establish priorities and new goals. We want to help our clients to raise their sights, strengthen their relationships, and reach agreement from first principles. Currently, our Strategy Practice works in two fields: first, to develop multi-year strategic plans and secondly, to develop engagement strategies that assist organizations to better integrate effective engagement techniques within existing governance and communications frameworks.

3. We deliver solid research that shapes good choices

MASS provides policy-related research services to clients across many sectors. We routinely conduct wide-ranging environmental scans, prepare case studies and provocation papers, interview experts and stakeholders, commission essays from thought leaders and host workshops to review our findings or carry a discussion forward. Whatever the approach, our clients turn to us to provide insight, creativity and breadth, and to provide clear evidence and strong examples they can use to make their case. Using our knowledge of different policy areas and the state-of-play in different jurisdictions we help our clients to map out what's possible.